The prior art includes examples of computer controlled machines, which pickup and place rhinestones onto a transfer film in a computer designed pattern in preparation for application to garments or other articles. While these computer controlled devices have the advantage of precision accuracy, speed, and limit individual manual labor per production unit, they are primarily directed to large quantity production, and are financially prohibitive for the hobbyist, or individual custom craft artist.
Another method, disclosed by the prior art, is by computer designed templates or stencils created by computer numerical control (CNC) machines. These machines create stencils for the pattern of holes, or cavities, of a specific depth so that, when decorative objects or rhinestones are swept across the surface, the objects are trapped within the holes arranging in precisely in the preferred template/stencil pattern. In this method, the rhinestones/decorative objects are then lifted by transfer film for application to clothing or other articles.
The prior art also includes a method of self-made templates in which the user manufactures a single template for each design. These self-made single design templates offer precision accuracy and, once the template is completed, provide a speed feature for multiple applications from the same template. Self-made templates are nor cost-effective for the smaller operator, however, and equipment and software to manufacture them are often too expensive for many individuals and businesses. A skilled operator is needed to operate software and equipment and the time and effort involved to do small quantities is extensive and cost-prohibitive. Purchasing previously manufactured templates, for a particular design, also have similar disadvantages, primarily costs and the inability to revise the design to individual preferences.
Rhinestones or other similar decorative objects may also be placed directly on garments or other articles by hand placement, which may be accomplished by several method: A hear wand tool may be utilized. Such a tool picks up individual objects, with pre-applied adhesive, hears them to liquify the adhesive, and then applies each object individually to a garment or other article. A transfer film method may be utilized, involving placing the individual rhinestones, again, one by one, onto a clear transfer film, usually following a pre-printed pattern beneath the film, one at a time until the pattern is completed and ready to heat apply to a garment or object. Additionally, rhinestones or other decorative objects, with heat activated adhesive at their base, may be arranged on the actual garment or object in a desired pattern. Once in place, they may be heat applied, permanently, to the garment or object.
Another method is disclosed by U.S. Pat. No. 6,615,845, to Abraskin et al, wherein, for applying a rhinestone facial display and display at other locations, a transfer rod transports the rhinestone, held by static electricity charge, to an adhesive previously deposited at the display site and which rod is then backed off resulting in a rhinestone remaining because the adhesive attachment is greater than the hold of the static electric charge.
Other cools exist (one of which is commonly known as a “bedazzler”) which individually attach Rhinestones to garments in a two-part configuration with a metal base which crimps around the rhinestone from the opposite side of the garment, providing an affixation method similar to that employed by a rivet. Again, the design arrangement may lack precision, and is slow, tedious and repetitive, particularly when one design is intended to be placed on multiple articles.
Other applications involve using a reusable grid board with holes in a graph-like arrangement, allowing the user to place individual rhinestones in selected holes to arrange a particular pattern, then utilizing a transfer film to attach and lift them out of the grid for application to garments or other objects. While simple, the size of the design is limited to the particular board and the particular hole pattern of the board limits the design capabilities and options available to the user. Likewise, the rhinestone or decorative object size is limited to the size of the particular holes in the board, which is a disadvantage, particularly if, in the individual design, the user desires to intersperse different sized decorative objects. A take off on the same grid arrangement allows the application of plungers to fill unused holes, leaving only holes desired for the particular design, and then to sweep the rhinestones or decorative objects across the surface and remaining grid holes, so that rhinestones or other decorative objects, as applicable, are trapped within the unplugged holes in the template pattern. Again, a transfer film is used for application to garments or other articles. The advantages and disadvantages are similar to the above recited grid board application.
One additional method of applying rhinestones involves the use of a material called “sticky flock” which is an upper cloth material, with an adhesive backing, which may be cut into different custom stencil sizes, and arranged in a desired overall design. “Sticky flock” applications to date are problematic because the adhesive backing in general does nor allow slidable arrangement for modification of designs once placed, it is difficult to reuse because of potential stretching and/or shrinkage of material, and loss of the adhesive background.
Thus, a need exists, which the prior art has not addressed, for a kit and a method for applying decorative objects to other articles which allows for a variety of reusable stencil or template units, each containing various design elements, which may be interchangeably placed together to form various designs and may be placed, and resistibly, slidably moved by the maker, across a flat baseboard to form the designs, and which, when finally placed, will hold their position, unless some significant outside force is applied to slidably move them from their desired position.